“In my time, love was deliciously illegal!” When I invited Shangyin to the opera, he couldn’t believe someone had written hours of music just about two people in love. “What a brave thing to do!”, he went on, “As for me, I was lucky I loved the woman I married. In China marriage is no…… Continue reading Sex Set To Music: Tristan and Chopin’s Preludes
Since the Russian megalomanic in the Kremlin launched his savage and genocidal war against the people of Ukraine, I have had nothing but sympathy and admiration for their heroism in standing up for their culture and their land. As I was playing a Chopin etude the other day, I reflected on the power of music…… Continue reading The Winter Wind Etude: Thoughts of War
The following is written in memory of my good friend, David C. Buxbaum, who passed away recently on Saturday May 13, 2023. *** The Rain and Mist over Lijiang When last I looked, the mist still hung suspended over the mountains of Lijiang. For two days the rain had formed a scattered trail of tears…… Continue reading The Rain and Mist over Lijiang
On New Years Day 2023 our first Piano+1 Program in Europe began with a piano donated to Ukrainian refugee kids in Krakow, Poland. This is the story behind this project. Being kind takes work The day after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I knew I had to help the Ukrainians. Little did I know it…… Continue reading On Pianos for Ukrainian Kids
Li Shangyin was taken aback on first reading my translation of Amanda Gorman’s poem The Hill We Climb. “Your structure is completely off!’ he protested, “There are rules!” He was referring to the traditional 7 character per line poetry that is prevalent in classical Chinese poetry. “Your rules are too complex,” I protested. “We live…… Continue reading Li Shangyin reads Amanda Gorman’s poem The Hill We Climb
A Eulogy to Granny Sarah
Bringing our two Americas together
Between 1821 and 1823, Beethoven wrote his last major work for the piano, the Diabelli Variations. He took a simple theme furnished by his publisher, and added 33 variations. A few months ago, in the middle of my life, and perhaps overly sensitive to my mortality, I challenged myself to learn this piece. I set…… Continue reading Writing About The Pengyang Memorial Inscription With Emotion (or ‘Triumph’)
What wonderful virtue does the moon possess that allows it to rise each evening? Whether in Nairobi or Shenzhen, I see the same moon in the sky, just as I see the same sun rise and set in either city. If they are not the same, how many thousands of suns and moons trace a…… Continue reading The Peony (or How Long Is The Path From Death To Birth?)
Associated Press announced recently that 2,975 people died in Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria. At first, The New York Times web site placed a modest link beneath a flurry of headlines about a so called NAFTA deal, the passing of a statesman and the profile of an actor. Belatedly, it added an editorial. Most media…… Continue reading Opinion: The Lost Ones (or The Other 9/11)
In the Tang dynasty geckos were crushed in mortars to prepare a potion, which was then applied to mark a young girl’s arm. If she lost her virginity, its red color would change. This fantastic potion was used to regularly inspect and discipline women. The poet Li Shangyin wrote: The red Shou Palace lies in…… Continue reading Guest Of The Sea (or The Gecko’s Virgin Blood)
About the time Li Shangyin and I were meeting in Shenzhen, the drug wars in Central America had intensified. The United States was still a country that drew the oppressed, huddled masses. However, there was a growing sentiment in the country that change was coming too rapidly. America was turning brown and many were afraid.…… Continue reading Westwards From Jingmen (or When Beethoven Met The Migrant Kids)
A Tang Poet From Nairobi 